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Did You Know: High School Facts & Figures

Statistics about Teenagers and High School Students

We'll be the first to tell you...there are a LOT of statistics about teenagers and students on this page. Stage of Life® has spent years working with tens of thousands of teens to pull exclusive statistics about high school students to share from both its teen trend reports and outside sources. Some of these statistics may shock you. Others may be more intuitive. They are a wide variety of topics dealing with teens below ranging from relationships to mental illness to politics to cell phone usage to bullying and more.

Statistics for each topic category can be found below, along with the source and accompanying resource links if available. If you are an educator, make sure to check out our Notes to the Teacher page for ideas on how to use these teen statistics as writing exercises in class.

Statistics about Teen Scars

Statistics about Teenagers and Their Scars

In October 2014, StageofLife.com asked students to share stories about their physical and emotional scars. Some courageous, personal essays were submitted, and the results of the teen survey were illuminating. Over 5,000 teenagers were reached through this month's writing prompt and nearly 500 students fully completed the poll on the topic of "scars."

31%of teens say that they are aware of giving someone else an internal (emotional) scar. 69% are "not aware" if they have given someone else an emotional scar.

42.5%of students are "proud" of their external (physical) scars. This number drops to 38.7% who are proud of their internal (emotional) scars.

In one sentence, share where your scar is and how you got it: The 400+ personal answers from our teen survey respondents to this open ended question can be found in Stage of Life's full Teen Statistics report. You can download the free statistics report below (click on the PDF document).

To read the full survey results, click the PDF icon to view or save the free download.

SOURCE: 2014 - StageofLife.com Teen Trend Report - Teen Scars

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more information about teenagers and their thoughts about their scars. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "Share a Story About a Physical or Emotional Scar."

Statistics about Teen Identity

Statistics about Teenagers and Their Identity

With the 30th Anniversary of the 1985 film, The Breakfast Club, coming up in 2015, StageofLife.com set out to ask teens the question, "Who Do You Think You Are?" (the question Mr. Vernon asks the teens in the movie). We were amazed with the results from our national poll and essay prompt that reached over 4,400 high school students. Nearly 400 students fully completed the survey and an additional 100+ submitted a personal essay answering the The Breakfast Club question.

63% of teens say they "know who they are" while 37% do not fully know their identity yet.

Parents & Activities / Hobbies: Teens say that "Parents/Family" and "Activities/Hobbies" are the two most important factors in shaping their identity. These far outranked other attributes such as sexual orientation, boyfriend/girlfriends, their church, their school, or their friends.

84%of students say their identities are shaped more by "Nurture" instead of "Nature" (16%)

63%of teenagers say that their appearance is an important factor in their identity.

37%of teenagers say that the way they view their identity now is not necessarily how they will view themselves in the future. Most teens(63%), however, feel that their current identity as a teenager will follow them through life.

66%of teenagers say that they feel most people do not see them for who they really are.

51%of teenagers in 2015 have seen 20-year-old John Hughes film about teenage identity, The Breakfast Club (released 1985).

What's the single biggest thing that defines you who you are today? Answers to this open ended question can be found in Stage of Life's full Teen Statistics report. You can download the statistics report below (click on the PDF document).

To read the full survey results, click the PDF icon to view or save the free download.

SOURCE: 2014 - StageofLife.com Teen Trend Report - Teen Identity

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more information about teenagers and their thoughts about identity. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "Who Do You Think You Are?"

Statistics about Teens and School

Statistics about Teenagers and How They Feel About School

In an effort to understand how teens feel about their teachers and returning back to school, in August 2014 StageofLife.com asked over 2,600 high school and college students during its monthly teen survey and writing contest to answer questions about their likes and dislikes about school.

The below teen statistics reflect the data collected from the students during this exclusive StageofLife.com poll...

86% of teens say they "enjoy" school. This percentage increases to 89% for females.

High School: Teens say they have their best memories from school in high school (45%) versus those that rank Middle School/Junior (33%) or Elementary School (22%). Girls also answered that they have a much better experience in Middle School/Junior than boys.

85% of students say they have mostly "good" teachers.

83% of teenagers say that their best school memories revolve around "Friends" - the #1 ranked category. "Lunch" and "Recess" ranked the lowest.

74%of teenagers say that they are typically excited to return to school at the end of summer each year.

What class taught you the most? Answers to this open ended question can be found in Stage of Life's full Teen Statistics report. You can download the statistics report below (click on the PDF document).

To read the full survey results, click the PDF icon to view or save the free download.

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more information about teenagers and their thoughts about school. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "Share a favorite (or least favorite) memory about school."

Statistics about Teen YouTube Usage

Statistics about Teenagers and Their YouTube Usage

In an effort to understand the relationship between today's teenagers and YouTube, during the summer of 2014, StageofLife.com asked over 4,700 high school and college students during its monthly teen survey and writing contest to answer the question, "How Has YouTube Impacted Our World?" Along with with their essay, students participated in Stage of Life's monthly teen survey.

The below teen statistics reflect the data collected from the students during this exclusive StageofLife.com poll...

49% of teens have uploaded a video to YouTube.

33% of teens who answered "yes" to uploading a video have submitted just 1 video. 48.7% of teens have uploaded 2-5 videos. 5% of students have uploaded more than 26 videos to YouTube.

77% of teenagers subscribe to a YouTube channel. For those students that subscribe to a YouTube channel, 1 out of 3 teenagers subscribe to a channel in the "Music" and "Popular on YouTube" channel categories. The least popular YouTube channel categories for teen subscriptions are "Sports" and "Movies".

37.4% of teens have clicked on a YouTube advertisement while watching a video.

64% of teens have shared a YouTube video on Facebook, Twitter or other social media.

1 out of 2 teens primarily watch YouTube to laugh and be entertained with funny content vs. 18.5% who watch primarily to learn new skills or be educated and 31% who watch primarily to stay up to date on the latest music and entertainment from their favorite artists.

75% of teens seek advice through YouTube channels / videos on topics important to their daily lives, e.g. relationships/dating, teen trends, advice on how to do new skills such as creating new hairstyles, etc.

80% of teens have high school teachers or college instructors who use YouTube for educational purposes in the classroom.

20% of teens indicate that YouTube is not used by their teachers (12%) or is not allowed in their school (8%).

82.4% of teenagers have shared a YouTube video with their parents.

27% of teens are "Not Aware" of YouTube's copyright laws.

71% of students say YouTube influences our culture a "great deal" verses less than 1% who say "not at all"

91.4% of teens feel that, overall, YouTube is a "positive" part of our society.

What makes certain videos popular or go viral? Answers to this open ended question can be found in Stage of Life's full YouTube and Teen Statistics report. You can download the statistics report below (click on the PDF document). Or you can read them by visiting our What Makes Certain Videos Go Viral summary page

Statistics: Teens and Graduation Ceremonies

Statistics about Teenagers and Graduation Speeches

Staring in May and continuing through June each year, teenagers and college students attend graduation ceremonies around the world. StageofLife.com asked over 4,400 high school and college students during its monthly teen survey and writing contest to share their thoughts on graduation speeches and ceremonies.

The below teen statistics reflect the data collected from the students during this exclusive StageofLife.com poll...

85.4% of teens, when asked the question, "On a scale of 1-5 (1 being least important and 5 being most important) how important do you believe graduating from high school is in today’s society?" said "5". The percentage of students who gave the "5" ranking (most important) dropped to 53% when the question asked about getting a college degree and dropped again to 22.47% when asked about getting an advanced degree.

72.7% of teens have attended a graduation ceremony for a family member or friend.

60%of teens feel that the graduation and commencement speeches are "worth listening to"; however, that percentage drops to 43% of students who actually remember something from the graduation speech (implying more than half of the commencement speakers are forgettable).

39%of teenagers fear public speaking; however, 57% of students say they would still like the opportunity to be a graduation speaker.

41.7% of teens know someone personally who dropped out of high school.

21% of teens said that people blow air horns during the graduation ceremony at their high school.

23.4% of teens replied "yes" when asked, "Have you ever seen a beach ball being tossed amongst the graduating class before it is removed by a teacher or administrator at a graduation ceremony?"

82.6% of teens say that graduation ceremonies should be "lighthearted and fun" verses the 17.4% who say graduation ceremonies should be "serious and formal."

Oprah, Ellen, and many others were nominated as special guests that students would like to invite to speak at their high school or college graduation. For the full list of celebrities, download the full teen graduation ceremony statistics report below (PDF document).

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more information about teenagers and graduation and commencement addresses. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "What would you say to your class if you were the graduation speaker?"

Statistics: Teen Relationships

Statistics about Teens and Relationships

In April 2014, in the height of prom season, StageofLife.com welcomed 4,900+ high school and college students to its monthly survey and writing contest to talk about love and relationships.

The below teen statistics about prom, love and relationships reflect the data collected from the students during the exclusive StageofLife.com poll...

61%of teens have been "in love"

Boys: 64% of teenage boys have said they have been in love

Girls: 59.6% of teenage girls have been in love

10% of teens spend more than $450 on prom. Download the full PDF report below to see the full spending trends on how much money teens spend on prom

94%of teens believe in true love. Surprisingly, this is the exact same percentage for both male and female teenagers.

49%of teenagers believe in "love at first sight." Males are a little bit romantic, with 50% believing in love at first sight while 48% of female teens say they believe in it.

60% of students think that the perception of teenagers in love is "negative" instead of positive. Boys tend to think more positively about love than girls, with 47% of males saying that the perception of teenagers in love is "negative" while 64% females think teenage love is cast in a negative light.

46% of teens have had a friend "dump them" in favor of hanging out with a boyfriend or girlfriend. This is more common with girls than boys. 32% of boys have had this happen to them verses 51% of girls

18% of teens admitted that a relationship has negatively impacted relationships with their close friend. Male friendships seem to suffer the most when a "significant other" is introduced...

Boys: 23.3% of boys say a relationship has negatively impacted their friendships when they are dating.

Girls: 16.3% of girls say that a relationship has negatively impacted friendships.

61% of teens say they have been in a relationship. This statistics is higher for girls than boys. 47% of boys say they have been "in a relationship" while 65% of girls have said this.

66% of high school and college students admit to having had their heart broken. This happens more to girls than boys (70% of girls have had their heart broken verses 53% of boys)

Honesty/Trust, Friendship, and Possessing Similar Values/Moralsrank as the #1, #2, and #3 (respectfully) most important factors in having a "lasting love relationship." Having a similar "social-economic status" ranked last.

Boys: Male teenagers rank Honesty/Trust, Similar Values/Morals, and Similar Interestsas the top three most important factors in a long lasting relationship (Physical Attraction came in a close #4).

Girls: Female teens rank Honesty/Trust, Friendship, and Mutual Respect as the top three most important factors in a relationship (Similar Values/Morals ranked #4).

92% of teens want to get married at some point in their lives.

Boys: This statistics is actually higher for males than females. 97% of teenage boys want to get married.

Girls: Compare that to 90% of teen girls who claim marriage is in their future.

24 - 26 years old is the "ideal age" teens feel for getting married. Both male and female teens selected this as the ideal age range for marriage.

20% of teens have had a boyfriend or girlfriend their parents "disapproved of"

60% of high school students plan to break-up with their current boyfriends or girlfriends when they leave for college. This percentage is similar for both males and females.

70% of teenagers text their boyfriend/girlfriend MORE than talk on the phone. Boys tend to text more than girls (73.5% of boys text more than talking on the phone verses 69% of girls)

12%of teenagers spend more time communicating with a boyfriend/girlfriend via Facebook than in person.

39% of teens have NOT told their parents about their current relationship

To get the full survey results from the StageofLife.com teen poll about mental illness, you can download the full PDF report here...

Click here for the teen statistics about relationships results broken out for males verses female responses

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more information about teenagers and how they feel about prom, love and relationships. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "Share your story about your first love."

Statistics: Teens and Mental Illness

Statistics about Teens and Mental Illness

In March 2014, while college basketball's "March Madness" tournament was raging, StageofLife.com welcomed 5,100+ high school and college students to its monthly survey and writing contest to talk about a different "March Madness" - the state of mental health in today's teens. 400+ teens across fully answered the survey about teenagers and mental illness, suicide, and other mental health issues.

The below teen statistics reflect the data collected from the students during the StageofLife.com poll...

1 out of 2 of teens state they have personally struggled with mental illness at some point (defined loosely as anything ranging from depression to more severe forms - see PDF download for full statistics).

Depression and Anxiety ranked #1 and #2 respectively as the most suffered mental illness by teens.

86%of teens say they know someone who suffers from a mental illness.

46%of teenagers say they have "contemplated" suicide.

86.5% of students say that mental health issues are an "important" or "very important" topic for the country.

84.5% of teens think that there is a negative stigma surrounding those with mental illness.

Half of all teens say classmates and friends are mostly compassionate about those with mental illness...the other half are not compassionate.

73% of high school and college students know someone who is taking medication because of a mental health issue.

To get the full survey results from the StageofLife.com teen poll about mental illness, you can download the full PDF report here...

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more information about teenagers and how they feel about the Olympics. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "How has mental illness impacted your life?"

Statistics: Teens and the Olympics

Statistics about How Teens Feel about the Olympics

In February 2014, while the Winter Olympic Games were running in Sochi, Russia, StageofLife.com welcomed 5,300+ high school and college students to its monthly survey and writing contest. 321 teens across the globe fully answered the survey about the Olympic Games, how they watch Olympics, and if they used social media to "talk" about the Games.

The below teen statistics reflect the data collected from the students during the StageofLife.com poll...

46.4% of teens like watching the Summer Olympics. Compare to students to rated the Winter Olympics higher (10.3%), both equally (26.2%), or those who said they really don't watch the Olympics at all (17.1%).

Figure Skating, Snowboarding and Ice Hockey ranked #1, #2, and #3 respectively as the most watched Winter Olympic events on TV by teenagers out of 13 different events provided. The Nordic Combined ranked last, with less than 1% of teens tuning in to watch that event.

67%of teens said they participate in sports either at school or through a community activity.

92.2%of teenagers say they are motivated by competition.

34% of students selected the "Spirit of International Unity" for what the Olympics symbolize the most. Other choices included Spirit of Champions (12.5%), Spirit of History and Tradition (4.4%), Spirit of Inspiration (32.4%), and Spirit of Competition (16.8%). The ranking implies teens care more about the international goodwill of the Olympic games over other arching themes, i.e. tradition.

84.1% of young adults say they watched some of the Sochi Olympic Winter Games.

74% of teens say their family watched the Olympics.

26.8% of high school and college students created a Tweet or Facebook post about the Olympic Games...but the majority did not (73.2%).

16.5% of teens followed an Olympic athlete on Twitter. The vast majority did not (83.5%).

Who is your favorite all time Olympian (summer or winter games)? Want to see how all of students answered this open-ended survey question? Or, to get the full survey results from the StageofLife.com teen poll and to read additional answers collected during the teen trend report survey, download the full PDF report here...

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more information about teenagers and how they feel about the Olympics. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "What does the Olympic Spirit mean to you?"

Statistics: Teens and the New Year

New Year's Resolution Statistics

In January 2014, StageofLife.com had over 7,600 high school and college students visit its monthly survey and writing contest. 201 teens across the US fully answered the survey about goal setting, hopes & fears, New Year's Resolutions and making a difference in the world. The below teen statistics reflect the data collected from the students during the StageofLife.com poll...

65.2% of teens make New Year's Resolutions.

80.6% of teenagers are more "hopeful" for 2014 than "fearful."

87.6%of teens feel they have the power to make a difference in the world.

75%of teenagers think about the state of our world either "always" or "often" - compared to 25% that claim they think about the state of the world only "sometimes" or "never."

13.4% of teens say they are "not successful" at following through with New Year's Resolutions.

"Educational Goals" ranked the highest in terms of "importance" from a list of "goal categories" given to students. Other categories included financial goals, fitness goals, travel goals, hobby goals, career goals, purchase goals, friends/family goals, and community goals.

Other Questions: We also asked students some interesting questions such as "Who is the most influential person in your life?" and "Who has the most power to create change in our world." For statistics and answers to those questions, download the PDF report below.

Who do you think is the most noteworthy person for 2014? Want to see how all of students answered this open-ended survey question? To get the full survey results from the StageofLife.com teen poll and to read additional answers collected during the teen trend report survey, download the full PDF report here...

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more information about teenagers and their hopes and fears for the New Year. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "What are you hopes and fears for 2014?"

Statistics: Teen Etiquette

Teen Etiquette Statistics

In December 2013, StageofLife.com had over 5,500 high school and college students visit its monthly survey and writing contest. 270+ teens across the US fully answered the survey about their feelings about civility, etiquette and manners in today's world. The below teen statistics reflect the data collected from the students on their feelings about etiquette...

91% of teens say that civility, manners and etiquette are either "very important" or "important" in their lives.

Classmates at School: When asked where and from whom do you see the MOST FREQUENT uncivil behavior (rudeness, bad manners, etc.), 47% of high school and college students said "Classmates at School." Compare this to "Family at Home" (6%), "Strangers in Public Places" (27%), or "Friends and Followers on Social Media" (20%)

70% of teenagers feel society, as a whole, displays more bad manners than good manners.

62%of teens, however, do not feel that chivalry is dead, i.e. do you see people opening doors for others? Do you see the strong protecting the weak? Etc.

87%of teenagers claim they personally practice civility, good manners and polished etiquette either "all" or "most" of the time.

92%of teen say they feel social media, e.g. Facebook and Twitter, is making us a less civil society

97% of students learn their manners from home. 57% also said they learn manners and civility from their place of worship. 43% named school as a positive influence on their manners, in particular through their involvement in Extracurricular Activities, e.g. Music, Sports, Student Government, Theater, etc.

Family Upbringing: Students ranked "Family Upbringing" as the #1 factor for its impact on civility, with "Education Level" coming in as the second most important factor followed by "Socioeconomic Status"

Bad Manners: When asked where they learn "bad manners", the top three ranked answers (they could select multiple choices) were:

Media, books, and movies: 69.3%

School - classes: 65%

Friends: 61.5%

Being rude to service people: Teens rank being rude to cashiers, waiters, or other service people as their biggest pet peeve when seeing bad manners from people in public. Here's how teens ranked other options (they were asked to pick ONE of these as their biggest pet peeve)...

Loud cell phone conversations: 3.3%

Being rude to cashiers, waiters, or other service people: 38.9%

Displaying bad table manners: 1.9%

Using foul language: 18.9%

Talking during a movie: 8.5%

Not using common courtesies like saying please, thank-you or excuse me: 25.6%

Loud gum chewing: 3%

If you could ask everyone in the world to work on changing one behavior that would help us all be more civil to each other, what would that behavior be? Want to see how all of students answered this open-ended survey question? To get the full survey results from the StageofLife.com teen poll and to read additional answers collected during the teen trend report survey, download the full PDF report here...

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and civility and etiquette. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "Where Has Civility Gone?"

Statistics: Teens and Mass Consumerism

Teen Shopping Statistics

In November 2013, StageofLife.com had over 7,000 high school and college students visit its monthly survey and writing contest. 440+ teens across the US fully answered the survey about their feelings on mass consumerism and teen shopping trends. In addition to answering the survey, many of the students participated in the monthly writing contest for teens in which Stage of Life asked students the question, "Do we have too much stuff?"

The below teen statistics reflect the data collected from the students on their shopping behaviors and how they feel about mass consumerism...

41%of teens go Black Friday shopping

65% of high school and college students get money to shop from their parents (their parents money or a set allowance). Compare that to 27% who use their own money from a job in order to shop or 10% who "don't have any money to shop."

25%of teenagers have witnessed a fight or drama between two strangers during Black Friday shopping

17%of teens have started shopping either on Thanksgiving Day or they stand in line at the crack of dawn for Black Friday Door Busters

61% of all teenagers say they bond with friends and family members through shopping

1 out of 4 teens admit to being "obsessed with having stuff, e.g. latest electronics or certain brand-name clothing"

37% of high school and college students go shopping more than twice a month

When teens buy things for themselves, here's what they buy the most of (#1 is the top most purchased item and #9 is the least purchased). Click PDF below for full percentages of this breakout.

Clothing, Shoes & Accessories

Health & Beauty

Electronics

Music

Books

Movies

Games

Sporting Goods

Car Accessories

What's the hottest holiday gift to give a teenager? Wanna see how all 435 students answered that question? To get the full survey results from the StageofLife.com teen poll and to read additional answers collected during the teen trend report survey, download the full PDF report here...

VIDEO REPORT - Statistics about teen shopping habits

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and their shopping behaviors. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "Do we have too much stuff?"

Statistics: What Scares Teens?

Statistics about What Scares Teens...

In October 2013, StageofLife.com polled 660+ high school and college students across the US participating in its monthly writing contest for teens. For this particular writing contest and poll, we asked students the question, "What Scares You?" These statistics reflect the data collected from the student survey about teens and their fears. A link to the full teen trend report from the "What Scares Teens" writing contest and survey is available below...

59% of teens believe in ghosts

64.7% of teenagers like scary movies

When given a choice between Obamacare or Miley Cyrus, teens are more afraid of Miley Cyrus than Obamacare (38.8% verses 61.2% respectively)

Teens are more afraid of Global Warming than they are of spiders (57% verses 43% respectively)

Students fear a Nuclear Iran more than Public Speaking (73.% verses 26.8%)

When given a choice between Republicans or Democrats for the political party they fear most, 58.7% of teens selected "both." For teens selecting one of the single parties, 24.7% of students fear Republicans and 16.6% fear Democrats.

VIDEO REPORT - Statistics about what scares today's teenagers

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and their fears. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com writing prompt tied to this survey, "What scares you?"

Statistics: Teens and Goals

Statistics about Teens and Goal Setting

In September 2013, StageofLife.com polled over 500 high school and college students across the US about goal setting. These statistics reflect the data collected from the student survey about teens and goal setting. A link to the full teen trend and statistics report from the "Teens and Goal Setting" writing contest and survey is available below...

75.4% of students set goals for themselves

41.8% of teenagers saw educational goals as the most important (followed by community, purchasing, and financial goals)

Over 81% of respondents have failed a goal they set for themselves

92.1% of respondents are currently working on a goal

16% of teens keep track of their goals using their mobile phone while 48% use a notebook, planner, or journal

VIDEO REPORT - Statistics about Goal Setting

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and how they approach about goal setting. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt tied to this survey, "Tell us about a goal you've accomplished or failed at achieving."

Teen Statistics

Statistics about Teens and Where They Find Joy

In August 2013, StageofLife.com polled high school and college students across the US as part of its "Moments of Awesomeness" campaign. These statistics reflect the highlights and some of the responses from hundreds of teens gave feedback about where they find their greatest moments of joy. A link to the full teen trend report and statistics report from the "Moments of Awesomeness" campaign is available below...

41.8% of students say they experienced their "Moments of Awesomeness" with "friends" while 27.6% say the most special moments in life come when they are with their family. 25.8% say they are "alone" when they have their Moments of Awesomeness.

When asked the question "From which do you draw the most inspiration or have your biggest 'Moments of Awesomeness', teens ranked the following from highest to lowest...
Reading and Writing #1
Music #2
Nature #3
Exercise & Sports #4
Religion #5
Food #6

31.6% of teenagers say they are at home (their house) when they experience their Moments of Awesomeness. Compare that to those who say they are on vacation (20.4%), at school (18.9%), in their community (15.3%), at a special event (11.3%), or at church (2.5%) - the lowest ranked location.

Nearly 1 out of 4 teens say it's easier for them to remember the negative/bad moments in their life than the good moments. Over half say they can easily remember both good and bad moments equally.

VIDEO REPORT - Moments of Awesomeness

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and their feelings about where they find their greatest moments of joy. You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt tied to this survey, "What was the best moment of your life?"

Teens and Patriotism

Statistics about Teens and Patriotism

In July 2013, StageofLife.com polled high school and college students across the US about their feelings on patriotism and what it means to "love your country." A link to the full teen trend report about teens and patriotism is available below...

90% of teens love their country

64.5% of students have been ashamed of their country

36.8% of respondents have a family member who is actively serving in the military

88.7% of teenagers think that military service is a patriotic act

Edward Snowden, traitor or patriot?

26.8% feel he is a Traitor

34.6% think he is a Patriot

When reciting the pledge of allegiance, 62.8% of respondents recite the entire Pledge, while only 1.3% do not participate (Note: 16.9% of respondents were not applicable for this question)

62.8% of students have spoken to an immigrant about why they moved to their country

64.9% of respondents' families do not hang their countries flag outside of their homes

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and their feelings about the idea of "patriotism." You'll also find student essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt tied to this survey, "What does it mean to love your country?"

Teens and Summer

Statistics about Teens and their Summer Activities

These statistics came from the StageofLife.com June 2013 survey polling high school and college students across the US about their summer plans and how they will make their summer unforgettable. A link to the full teen trend report about teens and summer is available below...

59% of students plan to take a vacation with their parents this summer

74.9% of students will volunteer this summer

38% of students plan to read 9 or more books this summer

60.4% of students plan to spend more time outdoors than indoors

56.2% of students will not have a summer job

46.2% of students will sleep til 9:00am or later during their summer off

Only 19.1% of students feel that getting a tan is important during the summer

90.3% of students spend more time with their family in the summer

Only 5.8% of students don't plan on seeing any movies in the theater while 62.9% plan to see 1 to 4 moviesteens and summer survey results

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and their summer plans, and read hundreds of student essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt tied to this survey, "How will you make this summer one you'll always remember?"

Teens and the News

Statistics about Teens and the News

These statistics came from the StageofLife.com April 2013 survey polling high school and college students across the US about their news media consumption and the news stories they are most passionate about. A link to the full teen trend report about teens and the News is available below...

83.5% of teens pay attention to the news

41.6% of teens read the newspaper

35.5% of teens watch TV news at least once per day, while 25% state they "rarely" or "never" watch TV news

1 out of 2 teens get their news from Network TV (CBS, NBC, ABC, or FOX). When asked about all of the possible sources through which teens consume news, they identified the following news outlets (they were allowed to select all that applied)...

Network TV News - NBC, ABC, CBS, etc.: 50.9%

Cable TV News - CNN, FOX NEWS, MSNBC, etc.: 47.6%

Word of Mouth from Friends: 46.8%

Web News Sites - Reuters, CNN.com, etc.: 42.7%

Radio - NPR, Rush, Hannity, etc.: 37.0%

Newspaper: 32.6%

Websites: 24.9%

News Magazines - TIME, US News & World Report, etc.: 21.1%

News-Based Blogs - Huffington Post, Drudge Report, Slate, etc.: 19.8%

I Never Watch, Hear, or See the News: 2.3%

North Korea, Gay Marriage, and Gun Control Legislation were the top three news story topics that most interested teen.

65.3% of teens say that the news stresses them out or makes them worry

91% of teens see their parents watching or reading the news

Video Report

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and their opinions on the News, and read hundreds of student essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt tied to this survey, "What Current National or International News Story Do You Think More Teens and College Students Should Care About, and Why?"
--Have questions about these statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teens and Fear

Statistics about Teens and Fear

These statistics came from the StageofLife.com March 2013 survey polling high school and college students across the US about their fears. A link to the full teen trend report about teens and fear is available below...

33.7% of teens are afraid of test taking

51% of teens are afraid of talking to their parents about personal problems. This number climbs to 54% for the percentage of teens who are afraid to talk to their teachers about personal problems.

40% of teens are afraid of peer pressure or not fitting in with people at school

30% of teens are afraid of being bullied or harassed at school or other groups/clubs to which they belong

43.6% of teens are afraid of depression or suicide

66% of teens are afraid of the future or life after graduation

75.5% of teens are afraid of poor academic performance or not getting good grades

56.4% of teens are afraid of money. For instance, worrying about how to pay for things

54% of teens are afraid of having to audition or try-out in order to be a part of something Examples: Auditioning for a musical, trying out for a sport team, etc.

School Life stresses teens out more than home life (64.7% verses 35.3%)

Video Report

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and their fears, and read hundreds of student essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt tied to this survey, "How Have You Applied the Phrase "No Fear" In Your Life?"
--Have questions about these statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teens and TV

Statistics about Teens and TV Viewing Habits

These statistics came from the StageofLife.com February 2013 survey polling high school and college students across the US about their TV viewing habits and favorite TV shows. A link to the full teen trend report about teens and TV is available below...

1 out of 3 teens watch 2 or more TV shows per day

2% of teens never watch TV

16% of teens watch TV in the morning before school

39% of teens have a TV in their bedroom

60% of teens watch TV with their parents

28% of teens feel TV is too violent, but the vast majority (72% do not feel it is too violent)

62% of teens watch TV programs on Network Television (NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox). Compare that to 55% who watch TV shows on Cable; 44% who stream on Netflix; and 15% who use Hulu Plus to watch TV

1 out of 2 teens said they watch TV directly on websites like YouTube or a TV show's website

74% of teens do NOT like a TV on when they are studying

61.6% of teens have 3 or more TVs in their home

Over half (55%) of teens would be upset if their parents cancelled the cable or satellite TV service

67% of teens say they have a TV show that "they just can't miss."

Video Report

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and their TV viewing habits, and read hundreds of student essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt tied to this survey, "Why Can't I Stop Watching My Favorite TV Show?"
--Have questions about these statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teens and Guns - Teen Trends

Statistics about Teens and Gun Control vs. Gun Rights

The below statistics came from the StageofLife.com January 2013 survey polling high school and college students across the US about their views on gun rights and gun control. A link to the full teen trend report about teens and guns is available below...

Students are split right down the middle (50/50) regarding their opinion on if people have a 2nd Amendment right to own whatever type of firearm they please

56% of students feel 1st-shooter video games cause young people to become desensitized to violence

Conversely, 58% of teens do NOT feel violent music lyrics are a problem in our society

70.6% of teens and students do NOT think teachers should be allowed to carry concealed weapons in school

Nearly 40% of students feel that mental health ranks as the "priority issue" in the wake of the Newtown tragedy when given the choices between mental health, gun control, school security, family issues, or addressing violence in games/music/media

71.3% of students saw their school take a moment of silence after the Newtown tragedy (but nearly 30% of students reported their schools did not).

50% of students, in the wake of Newtown, still feel "completely safe" at school. Another 46% report "usually feeling safe, but sometimes I don't." 4% of students report feeling safe "rarely" or "never" at school.

Regarding America's laws on guns...

10.1% of teens feel gun laws should be eased so that it's easier for law abiding citizens to own and carry guns both at home and in public

13.4% of teens feel we should keep current gun laws "as is"

56.4% of teens feel we should keep the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution in tact, but add new federal gun control laws to restrict the access to high-capacity ammunition clips or certain semi/automatic assault weapons, closing gun show loopholes, etc.

18% of teens feel guns should be allowed only by the military and police - regular citizens should not have access to them

2.1% of teens feel guns in all forms should be completely banned in our society

Video Report

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and gun control, and read hundreds of student essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt tied to this survey, "Where do we go after the Newtown School Shooting?"
--Have questions about these statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teens and Body Image - Teen Trends

Statistics about Teens and Body Image

The below statistics came from our December 2012 survey polling high school and college students across the US about their views on dieting and other body image issues. A link to the full teen trend report about teens and body image is available below...

20% of teens are either "rarely" or "never" happy with their body image

Over half of all teens (52%) feel that the media pressures them to change their body image

73% of teens feel their appearance affects their body image

65% of teens are afraid of gaining weight

44% of teens skip meals as a tactic to losing or controlling weight

31% of teens have been on a diet in the last six months

31% of teens have at least one body part on which they would like to get surgery

56% of teens feel that the media's advertisements are the main cause of low self-esteem

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and body image, and read teen essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt tied to this survey, "How will you be the change in 2013?"
--Have questions about these statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teens and Literacy - Teen Trends

Statistics about Teens and Reading

These statistics came from our November 2012 survey polling high school and college students about their reading and literacy habits. A link to the full teen trend report about teens and reading is available below...

Of the ways in which teens read books, the following forms were rated:

An actual book (paper): 98.0%

eReader (Kindle, Nook, etc.): 29.4%

Online: 16.4%

On my mobile phone: 13.5%

77.7% of teens say they read at least one extra book per month for personal pleasure that isn't required for school. Nearly a quarter (24.5%) read five or more books per month outside of school.

84% of teens have been to a public library in the last 12 months

34.4% of teens see their mothers reading more than their fathers; compared to just 12.5% of teens who see their Dads reading more.

Sadly, nearly 30% of teens rarely see their parents reading.

On a more positive note, almost 28% of teens see BOTH of their parents reading frequently.

The majority of teens (63.5%) buy their books from big brand company brick & mortar stores like Barnes & Noble

40.2% of teens have purchased a book online from web retailers like Amazon.com

61.3% of teens say they've borrowed a book from their local library in the last year

Because of their ability to read books online for free or borrow them, 31% of teens state they spend $0 per month on books.

However, 1 out of 2 teens will buy 1-2 books per month out of their own money spending anywhere from $5 to $20 (per month) on books. On the top end, 12% of teens are buying 3 or more books and spend $30+ per month on average

Teens are nearly split 50/50 on whether they label their friends as "book readers" and discuss books together

3 out of 4 teens (74.5% to be exact) have had a parent, teacher, church leader or other older adult recommended an inspirational book to them in the last year

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and reading, and read teen essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt, "What book made the biggest impact in your life?"
--Have questions about these statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teens and Sports - Teen Trends

Statistics about Teens and Sports

These statistics came from a October 2012 survey polling high school and college students about their views on sports, and in particular how sports impact family traditions. A link to the full teen trend report about teens and sports is available below...

61% of students say their parents are more into sports than they are

34% of students do not watch professional sports on TV

57% of students play sports outdoors with their family

54% of students describe their grandparents as big sports fans

66.7% of students cheer for the same sports teams as their parents; 21.2% cheer for completely different teams; and 12.1% of teens nor their parents do not cheer for sports teams

Teens feel that "doping and drugs" is the biggest problem in sports today (compared to player salaries, behavior/antics, and rules/referees)

27% of teens play in a sports fantasy league

36.4% of teens only watch the game for their one favorite team while 30.3% of teens watch as many sports as they can (12.1% of teens say they don't watch sports at all).

21% of teens spend $50 - $100 on sports-related items per month

54.5% of teens first became interested in sports during Elementary School. 18.2% identified Toddler-Pre K as the life stage in which they first started to love sports.

63.6% of teens were introduced to sports by their Dads.

Teens have made the following sports-related purchases in the last 12 months...

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report, view more statistics about teenagers and sports, and read teen essays answering the StageofLife.com national writing prompt, "How do sports impact family traditions?"
--Questions about these statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teens and Politics - Teen Trends

Statistics about Teens and Politics

These statistics came from a Sept. 2012 survey polling students about their political viewpoints. A link to the full teen trend report and a PDF download of more statistics about teens and politics is available below...

55% of students will (or would) vote for President Obama (verses 23.6% for Governor Romney).

1 out of 3 students did not realize there are other candidates other than Obama and Romney running for President, i.e. Libertarian candidate, Green Party candidate, etc.

70% of teens indicated their parents talk freely about politics at home and 64% of those students discuss politics with their parents.

40% of teens either "completely agree" or "agree on the major political issues" with their parents. Compare that to less than 7% of teens who say they do not agree with their parents politically ("at all" or "on major issues").

14% of students have no idea of their parents' political viewpoints.

32% of teens have had an argument about politics or a political issue with their parents. When asked about the specific topic of the political argument with their parents, the top three topics were gay marriage, abortion, and health care. Dozens of other issue topics were indicated as the root of the arguments (available in the full report - see PDF).

Nearly 50% of all teens said that one (or both) of their parents took them to the local polling center, when they were little, to experience the voting process when their parents went to vote. 8% of the students shared that their parents do not vote.

When asked which forms of media the family uses to get its political news, the top five responses (out of 13 choices) were...

Network TV (NBC, ABC, CBS) = 79% of families

Internet News Sites (Huffington Post, DrudgeReport.com, etc.) = 46%

Local Newspaper = 43%

National Newspaper (NY Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.) = 38%

Conservative Cable TV (Fox News, etc.) = 37%

The majority of students (53%) feel they have a political voice in this country.

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report and download the PDF statistics results about teens and politics.
--Questions about these teen statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teens and Music - Teen Trends

Statistics about Teens and Music

These statistics came from a Sept. 2012 national survey asking students about their music tastes and buying habits. A link to the full teen trend report and a PDF download of more statistics about teens and music is available below...

34% of teens like the music their parents listen to.

10% of teens state their parents have no clue about what type of music they listen to while 83% claim that their parents like all or some of their music.

Nearly 1 in 2 teens (49.2%) spend $0 (zero) per month on music as they either download it for free or burn it from friends' music collections.

38.7% of teens buy 1 album a month (spending $10-$15 per month), and only 2% of teens report spending more than $50 per month on music.

41% of teens bought a CD or paid to download a song/album WITHOUT having first heard the music simply because of a good review or it was recommended to them.

35% of teens rank "Friends" as the #1 source to find out about new bands or music. Also ranked high as sources for music are internet/blogs (22.3%) and the radio (19.4%).

More statistics can be found in the full StageofLife.com teen trend report - see below...

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report and download the PDF statistics results about teens and music.
--Questions about these teen statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teens and Nature - Teen Trends

Statistics about Teens and Nature

These statistics came from a StageofLife.com 2012 summer national poll asking students about their relationship with nature. A link to the full StageofLife.com teen trend report and a PDF download of more statistics about teens and nature is available below in the Source link below.

73.3% of teens went outside more as an Elementary student than now, as a High School student

58.6% of teens have grown up with a parent who had/has an outdoor hobby or took the family outside on regular basis

76.7% of teens would rather check out nature on a hike than check out friends' statuses on Facebook for an hour

69.4% of teens would rather listen to their favorite songs on an iPod (or other music device) than the sounds of nature

88.8% of teens feel that teens today are disconnected with nature

68.5% of teens are either indifferent, don't care, or care but "don't take an active role" in being concerned about the effects of man on nature

58.6% of teens have not studied or read anything about Transcendentalism or Transcendentalist authors (like Emerson or Thoreau) either on their own or in English / Language Arts class

73.3% of teens have not heard of the term, "Anthropocene" (how man is effecting the planet's biodiversity and nature) before the Stage of Life writing contest

30.1% of teens spend less than three (3) hours per week outdoors during the school year (whether that's for work, sports, or a hobby)

More statistics can be found in the full StageofLife.com teen trend report - see below...

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report and download the PDF statistics results about teens and nature.
--Questions about these teen statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Teen Pregnancy - Teen Trends

Statistics about Teen Pregnancy Prevention

The below statistics came from a May 2012 national survey polling students about their thoughts on teen pregnancy prevention.

The teens were asked to pick TWO reasons why they think teen birth-rates are at their lowest rate in decades (2012 CDC report). The percentages below correlates to the number of teens who selected that particular reason for the decline in teen birth rates. A link to the full teen trend report and a PDF download of more statistics about teens and teen pregnancy is available below...

52.06%: More sexually active teens are using contraceptives.

38.95%: Teens know someone who had a baby and realized they do NOT want that to happen to them.

32.96%: Young adults are scared of pregnancy by shows like MTV's Teen Mom.

32.31% Students have better health and sex-education at school now.

9.74%: Teens today are focusing on academics and activities.

9.36%: More teens are practicing abstinence or waiting till marriage.

7.87%: Parents are more involved in teen's lives and serve as positive role models.

6.74%: Teens are seeing a positive influence from friends to not get serious in a relationship during high school.

--Click "Details Here" to read the full StageofLife.com report and download the PDF statistics results about teen pregnancy.
--Questions about these teen statistics or the StageofLife.com teen trend reports, please Contact Us

Other Statistics About Teens

Statistics about teen pregnancy...

Teen births hit new low

The US teen birth rate dropped 9% from 2009 to 2010, to 34.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 19.

From 1991 to 2010, the rate dropped by 44%

However, the US continues to have one of the highest such rates among industrialized countries.

The highest rate of teen births was recorded in the state of Mississippi at 55 births per 1,000 teenagers (but this is still a drop of 21% over three years)

The lowest teen birth rate was New Hampshire with 15.7 births per 1,000 teen women.

The record statistical drops in teen birth rates is being partly tied to programs aimed at preventing pregnancies among teenagers.

Source: April 2012 report from the US federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Statistics about teens and deadly driving

There are over 9.5 million teenagers are on the road in the U.S.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 13–19 year olds in the U.S.

Only 54% of high schoolers report always wearing a seatlbelt

1 in 4 teens have recently ridden with an alcohol-impaired driver

1 in 3 teens ages 16–17 say they have texted while driving

View the full infograph to the right for full statistics on teens and dangerous driving.

Other reasons identified for the cause of the bullying: being poor (5%), being rich (2%), having physical or learning disability (4% combined), sexual orientation (2%), and receiving food assistance from food stamps or a food bank (1%).

Statistics about teens and suicide...

"In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Suicide is among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 years in some countries, and the second leading cause of death in the 10-24 years age group; these figures do not include suicide attempts which are up to 20 times more frequent than completed suicide."

Statistics about teens and jobs...

Unemployment Rates for California:

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics placed the California unemployment rate for teens ages 16 to 19 at 34.4% in 2010 This number includes only teens who have actively searched for work within four weeks of the data being collected. In May, the U.S. Department of Labor put the national unemployment rate for workers ages 18 to 19 at 21.5%.

The unemployment rate for 16-to-19-year-olds who want to work now stands at 24.2%, according to the May report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released Friday. Among African-American teens, the rate is 40.7%.

According to the NYS Department of Labor, during the 12-month period through May 2010, the average unemployment rate in NYC for 16-to-19 year-olds who were seeking jobs was 35.9%.

This figure is a whopping difference compared to rates prior to the economic turndown. Back in 2005, the average unemployment for 16-19-year-olds was 20.9%

Source: Lack of Jobs May Lead to Spike in Risky Teen Behavior by Gabrielle Milner- 2010

The Bureau of Labor Statistics - statistics on teens and jobs:

While the nation's economy may be improving, a new summer employment study shows teens looking for a summer job are facing huge hurdles. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows their employment is at its lowest level since the early 1960's. While summer employment improved last year over 2008, overall employment among teens was slightly lower. Nearly 5.9 million teens ages 16 to 19 had a summer job last year.

Nearly half of hiring managers say they have no plans to hire any seasonal workers this year, according to a study of 1,100 companies released today by SnagAJob.com, a job site for hourly positions. When asked why they wouldn’t be hiring, 31 percent of those polled said they didn’t have the budget. Adding to the problems, he says, is the growing number of older workers going after traditional teen jobs in retail and food services, and also the increase in illegal and legal immigrants vying for those jobs."Employers view adults as more responsible than teens, and they don’t have to worry about them going back to school

"As recently as 15 years ago, nearly 60% of all newspaper carriers in the U.S. were teens. These days, that figure is less than 20%.

Across the country, only 17 out of every 100 high school students have jobs. For African-American high schoolers, it is a mere 9 out of 100. For students who are both African American and from a low-income family, the number drops to 4 out of 100."

Source: The Teen Job Chop by Stephen Gandal originally in TIME -2010

Statistics about the impact of exercise on teens later in their lives...

Lowest levels of dementia: In a study of 9,344 women over age 65, those who reported being physically active as teens enjoyed the lowest rates of cognitive decline: they were 35% less likely to experience early signs of dementia than women who had been sedentary.

Source: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society - 2010

Statistic about the impact of cigarette advertising on teenagers...

29%:Percentage of teens who started smoking after visiting stores with cigareete ads, compared with 18% of teen smokers who went to stores without them.

Source: August 2010 issue of Pediatrics

Statistic about exercise and the benefit for teenagers in their later years...

35%: In a study of almost 10,000 women over age 65, those who reported being physically active as teens enjoyed the lowest rates of cognitive decline. In fact, they were 35% less likely to experience early signs of dementia than women who had been sedentary in their earlier life stages.

Source: Health, TIME Magazine. July 12, 2010

Sex and Health statistics on teenagers...

More Likely: Both female and male teenagers whose mothers had their first birth as a teen, and those who did not live with both parents at age 14, were more likely to be sexually experienced than those whose mothers had their first birth at age 20 or older, and those who lived with both parents at age 14 of US teen.

Twice as Likely: Teen females are almost twice as likely to have a birth before reaching age 20 if they did not use a contraceptive method at their first sex. Young females are also twice as likely to have a birth in their teen years if their mother had a birth when she was a teenager.

Common Reasons: Among both female and male teens who had not yet had sex, the most common reason for not yet having done so was that it was “against religion or morals.”. The second and third most common reasons for females were “don’t want to get pregnant” and “haven’t found the right person yet”.

64% and 71%:The majority of teens, 64% of males and 71% of females, “agree” or “strongly agree” that “it is okay for an unmarried female to have a child”. Males’ agreement with this increased since 2002 (when it was 50%) while women’s agreement remained the same.

58% and 47%:About 58% of never-married female and 47% of never-married male teens reported they would be “very upset” if they got pregnant (or got a partner pregnant). On the other hand, 14% of females and 18% of males would be “a little pleased” or “very pleased” if they got (a partner) pregnant. Thus, not all teens are motivated to avoid a pregnancy.

SOURCE: June 2010 - CDC, Vital and Health Statistics - Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing, National Survey of Family Growth

Cell phone statistics on teenagers...

74%: Percentage of US teens that carry cell phones (Aug. 2010)

47%:Percentage of US teens (nearly half) who say their social life would end or be worsened without their cell phone.

57%: Percentage of US teens who credit their mobile device with improving their life. The same percentage also view their cell phone as the key to their social life.

54%: Percentage of teenage girls who say their social life would end or be worsened if texting were no longer an option. This percentage was lower for males - 40%. Teens as a whole spend an equal amount of time texting as they do talking on their mobile device, with the trends leaning more towards texting in the near future.

42%: Percentage of teens who can text blindfolded.

35%: Percentage of 16- and 17-year-olds who say they text behind the wheel. This lower than adults however: 47% of adults admit to texting while driving.

SOURCES: National survey from CTIA and Harris Interactive, Nielsen Co., and The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project

Job statistics about teenagers...

3.2%: Percentage of jobs in America that go to teenage workers. However, the teen unemployment rate neared 28% in October of 2009 - the highest recorded since the Federal Government began tracking it (and this is nearly triple the 10% rate for all workers).

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Stastistics / TIME Jan.18 2010 issue

Statistic about how much time teens spend online...

31: Number of hours per week teens spend online in 2009

SOURCE: Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk)

Statistic about teens and stress...

85%:Percentage of teen girls who say they are stressed about the economy (verses 75% of teen boys)

SOURCE: 2009 survey completed by Bank of America and Seventeen.

Statistic about teens paying for college...

69%:Percentage of teen girls who are stressed about finding a way to pay for college (verses 59% of teen boys). Teen girls are also more likely than boys to have feelings of depression or fear, fights with family, and fights with friends because of money.

SOURCE: 2009 survey completed by Bank of America and Seventeen.

Statistic about teens and parental money involvement...

40%: Percentage of teen girls who think that their parents should bail them out of a tough money situation, no matter how old they are.

SOURCE: 2009 survey completed by Bank of America and Seventeen

4 in 10:Number of teens who have had to alter their college plans in some way because of the current economic downturn, while one in 5 had to either go with their second choice college because of cost or attend a state school instead of a private one in order to save money.

SOURCE: 2009 survey completed by Bank of America and Seventeen.

More likely:Adolescents who live in households that struggle to afford food are more likely than others to be overweight. Teens who are "food insecure" - that is, who are regularly unable to get enough to eat due to economic difficulties - reported eating behaviors associated with obesity.

SOURCE: Project EAT from University of Minnesota Medical School 2009

Statistics about teens and sleep...

28%: Percentage of U.S. high school students who reported falling asleep in school at least once a week due to not getting the recommended nine hours of sleep per night (only 20% of teens said they get nine hours of sleep a night).

SOURCE: National Sleep Foundation

Statistics about teens and the economy...

74%:Percentage of U.S. teenagers (13-17 years old) who say they are worried about the economy.

SOURCE: MONEY July 2009

Statistics about teens and death...

15%: Percentage of U.S. teenagers who expect to die young, according to a survey of 20,000 teens.

SOURCE: TIME July 13, 2009

Statistics about teens and fatherhood...

60%: Percentage of male high school students who told researchers they plan to cut their work hours when they become fathers.

SOURCE: TIME June 29, 2009

Statistics about teens and texting...

2,272: Number of text messages sent and received by the "average" American teenager each month (almost 80 texts messages a day).

SOURCE: Nielson Co. June 2009

Statistics about teens and blogging...

33%: Percentage of teens that create or work on webpages or blogs for others, including friends, groups they belong to or school assignments.

SOURCE: The Parents & Teens 2006 Survey sponsored by the Pew Internet & American Life Project obtained telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 935 teens age 12 to 17 years old and their parents living in continental United States. The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The interviews were done in English by Princeton Data Source, LLC, from October 23 to November 19, 2006.

Statistics about high school graduates

3.3 million: Projected number of high school diplomas that will be awarded in the 2008-09 school year.

Informational High School Video

Your Statistics Comments

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How creative can you be in 140 characters? Enter the Stage of Life "Short Short Story" Writing Contest on Twitter. The best Tweet each month receives a gift card from our education sponsors.

Saving Money

Stage of Life features over 100 special coupons and discounts, tailored by life stage, for our online community. From Applebee's to Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, explore the special offers we've lined up just for you...

Mobile StorytellingStage of Life launched one of the first mobile storytelling websites. Enter our writing contests, or read and share your stories anytime, from anywhere, using your smart phone.

Just visit www.StageofLife.com from the browser in your mobile phone. Let's write!

Writing Prize Sponsors

Details: Did you know that over 500,000 students and teachers visit and use StageofLife.com each school year? As the world's largest collection of cross-generational stories, blog posts, and essays from teens to Baby Boomers (and older!), we're proud to provide free writing resources in an environment that encourages people of all ages to write...whether that's via our Twitter writing contests or international essay competitions.

We'd like to thank Applebee's, IHOP, Papa John's, and SpaWeek for providing the gift card prizes we use for our Twitter and writing contests each month. Please support these literacy and education-friendly partners...and submit your essays and Tweets for a chance to win a gift card!

My Life Rewards®: Don't forget to check out our list of secondary sponsors who provide our reading and writing community special coupons and discounts. Visit our free My Life Rewards® member benefit page for those special offers.

About Us

Stories connect us. At StageofLife.com we believe that we can change the world . . . one story at a time. By sharing your own experiences and thoughts on your stage of life, you can touch the lives of so many others. Just ask the over 1,000,000 visitors we've welcomed since our launch. Share your story and change the world. Pick a life stage above and start exploring the site.

Thanks to Lenovo's generous support as one of our literacy sponsors - StageofLife.com student, educator, parent, and blogging members receive discounts on its entire product line. This includes savings from 5% to 20% off the web price on a variety of top products such as ThinkPad and IdeaPad laptops, and IdeaCentre desktops.

If you need a new laptop for college or school, compare the Stage of Life member pricing from Lenovo to get...

Support Literacy Development

As a free, education-focused writing initiative, UMB CardPartner is the proud sponsor of the Stage of Life Visa® Platinum Card. Apply for your VISA card to support the literacy, blogging and educational campaigns on StageofLife.com.

College Loan Options

As a national, educational, literacy initiative, StageofLife.com works closely teens and teachers...hundreds of thousands of them in fact. Because of this, we are in the fortunate position to bring our teen and college student users exciting benefits ranging from special offers and discounts for students to great rates on college loans and financing from the Smart Loan Option from Sallie Mae...

Stage of Life Poll

Take a minute and answer our national poll tied to the monthly StageofLife.com teen and college student writing contest (did you submit your essay yet?). Our current national teen survey can be found by looking for the Survey Monkey banner on our national student writing contest page...

Resources

StageofLife.com is an education-based, grassroots, non-partisan, free blogging community with a mission support digital literacy by making the world a better place, one story, essay, and blog at a time. Stage of Life users (teens, college students, Millennials, Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomers) can share and archive their life stories via their Stage of Life profile page. Specialized content includes literacy resources, free lesson plans, writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students (and older generations), student blogging initiatives, blog directories, and financial literacy tools - including Life Rewards® - our free discount program for all Stage of Life users, readers and writers dedicated to providing printable coupons and coupon codes tailored towards each stage of life.